by Brea Viragh
Their mother was older than most people guessed, deciding to have her children only once she had fully explored her youth. No one suspected her of pushing sixty, with the same small build and pale skin as her daughters. Her hair was the black of a crow’s wing, dark ebony with hints of silver streaks. She wore it in a mass of curls piled atop her head.
Aisanna blinked, images swimming before her eyes and causing a wave of dizziness. Had someone thrown her under a bus? Literally?
Her unfocused eyes took in the few boy-band posters dotting the walls, and knickknacks collected from her childhood lined wooden shelves. Familiar faces ringed around her like a pantomime of misery. She recognized her mother and sisters, her father hanging back to survey the scene. Astix, still uncomfortable with the idea of being part of a family again, lingered near the door, ready to make a hasty escape.
“Thank God you’re okay.” Varvara bent to kiss Aisanna’s hand. “We can’t lose you, too.”
“Are you sure we should have taken her out of the hospital?” Karsia asked, the youngest of them. She was the pinnacle of beauty in the family. Fresh-faced, with lush pouty lips and milky skin. Passionately loyal, her tender heart made her easy to wound. “I’m still not sure this is the best idea. She has a concussion.”
“The doctors said she was clear to be moved.” There, the deep rumbling baritone of her father, Thorvald. “No broken bones or anything. She’s better off here than in a hospital, anyway. What do you think the administrators would say when she starts to heal after two days, with magic to help speed her healing?”
“Thorvald, stop.”
“You guys are speaking about her like she’s not here. Aisanna can clearly hear you,” Astix commented.
Varvara hung her head. “I’m sorry. We don’t want to upset you, sweetheart.”
Aisanna reached for Astix in an unspoken plea, and the middle sister crossed the space to gingerly sit on the side of the bed. She wore her signature black, a bomber jacket and leggings spiked through with swirls of blue. The familiar gold band in her nose glinted in the light from the two bedside lamps.
“Hey, you,” she said gently. “You doing okay?”
Aisanna found comfort in the familiarity, even while her mother cut off the circulation in her hand. “I’ve been better.”
“You don’t need to speak,” Astix began, “but something happened in your car. Something dark and unnatural. You know what I’m talking about. Was it…her?”
Aisanna didn’t have the strength to argue or lie. There was no hiding this time. She nodded jerkily, the motion causing black spots to dance before her vision. Nope, not a good idea. Very, very bad idea.
“The doctor said you have a concussion,” Karsia repeated. She wiped at her eyes. “No broken bones, miraculously, although the car was totaled. You hit a truck and spun out of control. The technicians told us your brake lines were sliced.” She wrung her hands together, knuckles turning white. “Some nice man called the police and sat with you until the ambulance arrived. We didn’t know what to do!”
Aisanna wanted to tell Karsia not to cry. Unfortunately, the rest of her refused to cooperate.
She didn’t recall a nice man. She didn’t remember the details of her crash, either. Nothing beyond seeing an icy smile, feeling fingers of darkness travel over her skin. The voice inside of her head causing her insides to boil.
Her hands balled in response and Aisanna knew her mind had erased the accident, buried it deep. Flashes of memory came back to her, memories of the EMT, the hospital. Beyond that, there was nothing.
She was alive. So much for her make-the-best-of-it-day, but she could be grateful to escape with her life. It was a reminder that no matter how hard she tried, there was no escaping her problems. There was no running from the fear and the anger. Or trying to pretend like it wasn’t time to enter crisis mode.
Guess the universe showed her.
Astix stared at her. “Mom, come on. Give her some room to breathe. Her fingers are turning blue.”
“I…I don’t know what will happen if I let her go.” After a moment, Varvara released her and, with a timid sniff, moved to slump in a nearby chair as though the worry had sapped the energy from her body. She wilted like a flower in a lurid purple jumpsuit. “I’ve been worried for so long, I’m not sure what else to do. I live in terror something is going to happen to one of you.”
“We’re fine,” Astix insisted. “We’re handling it. You focus on keeping yourself safe. And sane.”
“What if you—”
Karsia stepped in. “No. Nothing is going to happen, Mom.”
Aisanna wished she could really believe their words. If someone had asked her two days ago, then yes, she’d have agreed. Nothing bad was going to happen. Between the three sisters, their magic was enough to make it to the eclipse without losing their minds and having everything fall apart. They were going to find Zee, find the Harbinger witch, and help stop the veil from thinning and releasing wild magic into their world.
Now? With a slight concussion and seeing faces in the shadows? She wasn’t sure anymore.
“How long,” she managed to croak, “have I—”
“Two days,” Astix interrupted.
Aisanna’s eyes widened at the words. How could two days have passed without her? Who was taking care of her business?
Astix shook her head and rose. “Rest. Okay? Rest and get better. I’m here and I’m going to figure out what the hell happened.”
“It was an accident.” Karsia, anything but convinced, crossed the room to the window. She stood for several seconds before moving again, the motion within her unable to be contained. “It’s no good assuming things and making your own conclusions. We won’t know anything until Aisanna feels well enough to tell us. Helping her should be our main focus right now.”
“I’m not going to argue with you, Karsia.” Astix went to leave, the sound of her footfalls absorbed by the carpet. “The veil is fraying, and we’re here cooing like doves around her bedside instead of doing something. It’s not going to help.”
“Sit, young lady.” Thorvald motioned for Astix to park herself on the ottoman at the foot of the bed. “There’s no need for you to run off as soon as she wakes up.”
“I’m not running off, Dad. But Aisanna needs to rest and I need to work. End of story.”
Something about her movement reminded Aisanna of a dream, a half-remembered snippet. It took everything in her but she found her voice. “She wants me this time. She wants…me.”
Astix turned, regarding them, the wheels of her mind churning. The others looked to Aisanna for answers when she had none. The two girls held eye contact for several seconds before Astix nodded, once, and walked out of the room.
CHAPTER 6
Elon parked his Karmann Ghia across the street from the old stone mansion, where he had a beautiful view of the row of houses he couldn’t be able to afford even if he saved for two lifetimes. Aisanna wouldn’t appreciate his coming to check on her. She would appreciate even less the handful of flowers he’d gathered from her stores at the shop. The blush-colored camellias stared at him from his passenger seat. Mocking him.
What are you doing? they asked. She won’t want to see you.
When he’d heard about the car accident, his world came to a full stop. Aisanna couldn’t be hurt. It wasn’t possible. He’d maintained the business for her the best he could before calling it quits and flipping the sign to closed with an apologetic note taped to the glass along with it. This wasn’t something he could handle on his own. And Aisanna wouldn’t appreciate his bumbling efforts if it meant there was more work for her when she recovered.
Elon would have settled for a phone call. Should have, he reminded himself, except something was clearly going on.
Yeah, he’d thought the news stations lately were on their way to insanity with obsessive coverage of strange weather events, crazed predictions from television personalities, and signs of “the end.” Some were blathering on about wi
tches and magic and the apocalypse. He flipped through each station, scoffed when appropriate, and tuned in to the most exciting sports game nine times out of ten.
Then he’d seen something. Something following Aisanna after he found her sitting in her car. It was nothing concrete, nothing he could put a finger on or fit into a nice, logical box. He could feel it, by looking at her. Recognizing the shadow following her wherever she went.
It surprised him as much as it caused him concern.
And now, everything he’d been sure about before, he began to question. He’d come to Aisanna’s parents’ house because he had a feeling that refused to leave him alone. Maybe some of the weird things he’d been hearing lately were true. The most important thing was that Aisanna might need his help. She might be in real danger, if reports of her brake lines being cut were any indication. He wasn’t anyone special to her. But he was still her friend, and he intended to be there when she needed him. Even if it was something as simple as keeping the store open while she was out of commission.
Elon expected to catch a glimpse of her moving around inside the house before venturing his way through the imposing iron gates blocking the driveway entrance. He hadn’t expected to see her walking around the yard, a large red hat blocking her head from the worst of the weather.
He caught sight of her and his heart stopped beating for one second. Two. She stood near the fence, which reached above her head and then some, her hands taking hold of the iron and wind blowing through her hair. She looked ready to burst through. Like she was escaping a prison.
“She’ll catch her death,” Elon muttered to himself. “What is she doing out of bed? Aisanna!”
He was out of the car and racing away from the street toward the gate. Luck was on his side when he reached out and found it wasn’t locked. He yanked on the latch when the pieces refused to budge, frozen together, and wobbled dangerously on the slick sidewalk.
Aisanna glanced over when he called her name a second time. Storm clouds darkened the sky and turned the world to shades of gray. Elon saw a flash of black ink staining her face. Crisscrossing her forehead in symbols he didn’t recognize. Wouldn’t recognize even without the distance.
What the hell was going on? And what could he do about it?
“Aisanna, wait for me.” He ran across the lawn over sleeping gardens and rapidly freezing garden paths. When he got closer, he slowed to a walk. “Wait.”
She stood, her deep reddish-brown hair whipping around her face. Whatever skin was not covered had pebbled with the cold and her face was a mishmash of yellow and purple bruises. No ink, no script. Nothing out of the ordinary.
“Elon.” Her teeth chattered together though she kept her hands on the fence.
“You’ve got to be freezing. Here.” He shrugged out of his jacket, holding it out to her before placing it over her shoulders.
“Now you’ll be cold, too.”
“I’m fine,” he insisted. “For crying out loud, you shouldn’t be out taking a walk. Not three days after you were in an accident. What are you, a superhero? I’m surprised they let you out of the hospital.”
“You didn’t need to come check on me,” she said. “I was taking a walk because I needed fresh air.”
“I wanted to see you for myself, and you don’t have to explain yourself to me.” His hands in his pockets, Elon shrugged against the tiny pinpricks of sleet coming down at a forty-five-degree angle. “How about I walk you back inside?”
She turned to stare at him, and there was something dark in her eyes. Foreign and alien. “I have enough problems without you coming here.”
“I’m a problem, now?”
“No, not a problem. I’m just…I’m sorry, okay? My head—”
Jeez, there he was pressuring her when she’d been through a traumatic experience. Stupid! “The police said someone cut your brake lines—”
“No one cut my brake lines,” she insisted, her voice weak. “The brakes were working fine when I got in the car. The media lies sometimes, Elon. Don’t trust everything they say.”
His head tilted to the side. “I know you’re shaken up.” Then her eyes rolled back into her head and her knees buckled. Aisanna went straight down, her hands slipping from the fence. Elon lunged forward to catch her in time. “Whoa, there.”
He gathered her carefully into his arms and, without thinking, turned to carry her into the house.
There were no other cars in the driveway, he noted. Which meant introductions with the family would have to wait. There was always next time.
It took a bit of finagling to get the door open using only his pinky and forefinger. He yelled for help, but no one came. An open door to his right revealed what looked to be a sitting room of some sort, so he carried her in and laid her gently on the sofa.
Ten minutes later, Aisanna breathed deep, blinking her eyes open and sucking in a pained gasp when the bruises on her ribs flared up. “What…ouch.”
“I’m sorry. Your head is probably killing you. Do you want me to get some ice?” She tried to roll over, and Elon placed a hand on her shoulder to keep her still. “It’s all right, just stay down.”
“What the hell are you doing in the house?” She twisted around to face him, her features a mixture of worry and agitation.
“I let myself in. You passed out in the yard.”
“I don’t pass out, Elon. Ever. Hand me the bottle,” she said, pointing to the sideboard.
He hadn’t seen the bar until she mentioned it. Now that he took note of it, he saw several glass decanters of amber-colored liquid. “Sure. Okay.”
He felt her watching him as he rose to pour her a glass.
“Why does it feel like I just rode a tornado like a champion in a bull riding competition?”
“Not sure. Maybe because you were in a car accident and your body is trying to heal but you decided it was a nice day for a walk.”
“Funny man,” she said dryly. “It was a rhetorical question.”
Aisanna stared at Elon’s back, embarrassed for showing any kind of feebleness. Worse, he’d been around to witness it, and now she had a feeling he’d treat her differently. Like she was something frail and weak. Something that needed protecting.
He was back in seconds, holding out a snifter filled with brandy. She slugged it down in a single gulp and closed her eyes when her mouth burned and stomach heaved. “Shit.”
The trail of fire leading down to her gut reminded her of her visions. Or whatever the hell they were. They came back to her hard and fast until she nearly lost her breath.
Her family in flames.
A black pit opening in the sky, rogue magic diving into the earth with poisonous tendrils until everyone went mad from the chaos.
The world burning—and her at the center of it.
Laughing.
It was the last thing she’d seen before blacking out in the yard.
“Are you going to talk to me?” Elon asked. He paced in front of the fireplace, twice, before resting his hand on the mantel.
She jerked up, her hands releasing their grip on the decorative pillow she’d clutched, the empty brandy snifter forgotten on the floor. “I’m not sure what happened.” She turned away. “I was…I was outside. Then it went dark. Maybe I wasn’t as ready to be vertical as I’d thought.”
“You were outdoors without any kind of gloves or scarf. You’re lucky your hands didn’t freeze.”
Frowning, she glanced down at her red fingers. And saw that she was still wearing Elon’s jacket. “You can take this back. I think I’ll be fine.”
“You know, there was something odd. When I first pulled up in front of the house…I saw you walking.”
“Creeper.” But the humor fell flat.
“There was some weird writing on your forehead.” Elon gestured to the general area on his own face. “I’m not sure. I blinked and it was gone.”
She stared at him for a moment, silent. Then gave a small test to see if she could call her magic. It cam
e willingly enough, therefore not another death rune. She forced a smile to her face and tried to pin it on her cheeks. “Your eyes were playing tricks on you.” She pointed to her unblemished skin. “See?”
Elon gave his eyes a rub. “I guess they were. You would tell me, right? If there was something going on?”
Aisanna ignored his concern and pushed to her feet, wobbling past him. She turned her back to the mirror. Didn’t want to look over her shoulder to see her reflection. They stood there in silence as the seconds ticked on.
Elon came to stand beside her. “I wanted to tell you, I’ve been taking care of the shop. Called Johan in for a few extra shifts, and got that one girl, what’s-her-face, Olivia. The one you’ve called in to temp a few times.”
“Thank you.”
“I’m glad you’re okay.”
“It was just a little accident. I’ll be back to work in no time. Speaking of which, why aren’t you there right now?” She looked at the floor instead of at him.
“I told you, I got it covered,” he said. “You could have died.”
It was true. Aisanna shivered with the knowledge. And remembered the face in her backseat. Waiting for her. Calling to her.
If she didn’t know any better, she’d say Elon was angry about it. “Next time you might not be so lucky.”
Aisanna let her hand rest on her shoulder, fingers grabbing hold of her hair. “There’s nothing you can do about it.”
“I can make sure you’re comfortable while you recover, at least.” Elon smacked his head. “I have flowers for you in the car. I should have brought them inside. They’re probably icicles by now.”
Her smile disappeared as quickly as it came. She needed to solve her problems. To make them go far away before people like Elon got hurt. People who were determined to give their care and time even when it wasn’t necessary.
She would keep Darkness where it belonged, before it came for her again. Before it came for Elon. She hated believing it was real, believing it wasn’t just some nightmare where she could snap her fingers and wake up, problem solved. There was no easy solution for what she faced. She’d seen the consequences of the fraying veil with her own eyes.
